“The piano is my passion. Through the Lang Lang Piano Academy I hope to inspire today’s kids to explore the piano and celebrate the wonderful world of music. There are no short cuts to learning the piano and playing it well, but the journey along the way should be imaginative and rewarding as well as challenging. My aim in this series is to develop a more creative way to study the piano that appeals to the next generation of pianists – wherever they are in the world!”
LANG LANG
Superstar Chinese pianist Lang Lang is credited with inspiring some 40 million children in China to take up the piano and is a passionate advocate of the instrument and education. His sold out concerts captivate and inspire audiences of all ages, and he has now turned his charisma and passion to a new series of piano tutor books, designed to encourage the next generation of pianists.
Published by Faber Music, the books range from established elementary to intermediate (Levels 1-5 equate broadly to exam system Grades 1-5), and feature masterpieces by composers such as Bach, Beethoven and Schumann, as well as more familiar tutor book fare by Heller, Burgmuller and Le Couppey. The books also feature a selection of characterful world music, with arrangements hailing from around the globe including Europe, Africa, Asia and America, reflecting Lang Lang’s assertion that music is for everyone, everywhere.
Each book contains:
- 8 units that develop key aspects of piano technique
- Specially devised exercises and core studies focussing on each technical area
- A diverse selection of piano repertoire including Lang Lang’s best-loved works
- Beautiful arrangements of music from around the world
- Inspirational commentary and guidance from Lang Lang himself
- Stunning photo section of the pianist and examples of art that has inspired his own playing
- Additional supporting materials will be available to download from the website, in addition to exclusive audio and video content.
The books also contain personal messages and hints and tips written by Lang Lang himself to accompany the sheet music, as he shares the secrets of his piano technique, along with exclusive photos of Lang Lang demonstrating at the piano. These suggestions are in place to encourage and inspire, as well as to present a more informal approach to studying the piano:
“For me, phrasing is like having a conversation. Each phrase is a sentence in that conversation – sometimes you include a comma because you have more to add and sometimes you finish the sentence.” Lang Lang
He also uses imagery to explain aspects of piano technique: for example, for good staccato he encourages the student to “think about a beautiful, very light, very naughty cat!”, and for legato he suggests imagining a gecko, whose feet are really connected to the keys. The books are well-designed with a clear, accessible layout and easy to read scores and text.
LANG LANG PIANO ACADEMY: MASTERING THE PIANO
Published by Faber Music, Levels 1, 2 and 3 (September 2014, £8.99), Levels 4 and 5 (October 2014, £9.99).
Further details at
A Piano Teacher Writes... 